


Something There

by dalia (Dalia)



Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, First Kiss, High School Beauty and the Beast Production, did you know - Belle and Beast are both idiots in love, much like these two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:09:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21844948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dalia/pseuds/dalia
Summary: Persephone is an exchange student to the high school attended by Hades, Artemis, and everyone else. Her goals of flying under the radar don't work out, but maybe something else will...
Relationships: Hades/Persephone (Lore Olympus)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 33
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	Something There

**Author's Note:**

  * For [authentic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/authentic/gifts).



As Hera collected the next student for auditions, Hades saw the new girl walk into the audition waiting room. Her eyes darted nervously and a blush deepened the pink of her cheeks. She tucked a lock of pixie-cut hair behind her ear and went to sit next to Artemis. 

He felt his breath catch in his throat. Her beauty, her grace, her she-will-punch-you-in-the-face (but only if you deserve it). He felt, rather than heard, himself mutter under his breath, “She puts Aphrodite to shame.” 

* * *

After auditions, Persephone flopped down onto the couch in Artemis’s apartment. 

“Thank you so much, again, for having me,” she said. “I honestly don’t know what I would do without you.” 

“No, thank you,” said Artemis. “You’re the only one keeping my mom off my back about homework this term. Do you know how hard it is to convince your mother you care about your studies when all you do is practice archery?” 

Persephone did, in fact, know exactly what Artemis was implying but she just made a noncommittally agreeable face and hoped Artemis couldn’t tell she disapproved. 

“Well, if it’s any consolation, the fact that I’m staying with someone as level-headed as you is the only reason my mother let me sign up for this exchange program,” Persephone replied. 

Artemis nodded in understanding and sat down on the couch next to Persephone. “So, how do you think today went? I’m pretty sure I’m a shoe-in for LeFou and I feel like you really have some potential to get a big role in this.” 

“Oh, I don’t know.” Persephone hid her face in her arm on the couch. “I really hope I get Belle, but it’s okay if I don’t. I _am_ new here and I’m a year younger, they might give the role to a senior.” 

“Don’t sell yourself short,” replied Artemis, before ducking to avoid Persephone’s perfectly thrown pillow. 

***

The next day at school, Persephone and Artemis joined the crowd of onlookers at the audition boards. The squealing started to get deafening as they approached the board and Persephone almost turned back, but her desire to know (and Artemis’s vise-like hold on her arm) kept her there. 

Suddenly, Artemis let go of her arm. They were at the board, and as she slowly looked up she saw why. 

Her name was at the top of the list. 

*** 

The first musical rehearsal was that afternoon, after classes. Persephone was as nervous as she felt she had a right to be, that is to say, very. It seemed only reasonable that she should be nervous about a large role for a musical when she was new to the school and didn’t know how the other students would react yet. With that in mind, Persephone was busy trying to make herself as small as possible when their director Hera started walking around. 

“Sit up straight, you look like a mouse,” said Hera as she walked by. Persephone turned an even deeper shade of pink, if that was possible, and attempted to take up a little more space. 

“All right students, for this first rehearsal we’ll just be reading some lines to get the feel of our characters. Persephone, Hades, why don’t you start? We’ll go from the scene where Belle has just accepted the place of her father in the Beast’s dungeon.” 

Persephone looked up at… Hades? Nervously. She still didn’t really know everyone’s names. They’d gotten their scripts, and she looked at hers to find the lines. 

“You didn’t let me say goodbye!” she read. 

“What?” he replied. 

“I’ll never get to see him again… and I didn’t even get to say goodbye.” she sniffed and turned away. 

Had she looked up, she would have seen the look Hades was giving her - one that said he was melting inside, just a little. “I’ll… show you to your room.” And turned, as indicated in the script. 

At that, Hera stopped them. “HOLD! Good! Now, Persephone, I’d like you to look at Hades when you say that last line. And Hades, I’d like you to watch her a little more… intently as she says it. Let’s try again.” 

* * *

A few weeks later, Hera heard a knock on her open office door. It was Persephone. 

“Hi Ms. Hera, can I come in?” 

“Of course my dear, and please, call me Hera. Ms. Hera is so last millennium.” she laughed a little at that. 

“I’m just, I’m just really worried about this show. I’m not sure I’m going to be good enough as Belle, it’s been really hard to learn all my lines, and now that we’re starting song rehearsals I’m worried I’ll fall behind and I won’t ever be able to catch up.” Persephone mumbled the last half sentence, looking at the ground. 

“Look up.” Persephone startled and Hera saw the tears shining in her eyes. “Don’t ever tell yourself that you can’t catch up. There are no mistakes that you can’t come back from, I should know.” She chuckled and allowed herself a small gaze into the distance before focusing back on Persephone. The girl’s tears seemed to have dried a bit, and Persephone dabbed at her eyes before fully making eye contact. 

“What should I do?” 

“Well, what are you most worried about? I can set you up with one of your fellow actors, you two could go over lines together on off-days or after rehearsals and make sure that each other are memorized on your lines.” 

“That would be nice,” Persephone replied with a radiant smile. 

Hera smiled internally. She saw, now, what Hades had meant with that muttered comment on the first day. 

* * *

Persephone walked into the practice room the next day, as it was their day off. She sat down on the piano bench and swung her feet idly, waiting for her cast-mate to show up. 

The door opened, and Hades walked in. 

“Oh!” she breathed. 

“Hello,” Hades said. He had a lovely timbre. 

“Hello!” she replied. “What are you doing here?” 

“I’m here to help… you, I suppose,” Hades said. “Hera said that someone needed help and that we were supposed to meet in this practice room. So, what did you need help with?” 

“Oh! I just needed some help… with my lines…” she trailed off. 

“I haven’t noticed you struggling at all in rehearsals,” Hades replied, “but, if you’re sure, we can definitely go over some scenes together.” 

Persephone nodded gratefully and opened her script to the beginning. “I’ve never had to practice like this before, so I’m not sure where to start. Do you think the beginning is good?” 

“That sounds fine to me,” replied Hades. 

“Great!” Persephone noticed a note on Hades’ script that wasn’t on hers. She leaned over to examine it, and had she been a less oblivious human being she would have noticed the view with which she was providing Hades. 

All of a sudden, Hades cleared his throat. “I’d better get going soon.” 

“What? But, you just got here!”

“I know, and I’m sorry, but I really do have to go.” 

“Al-alright,” said Persephone. “We could meet again tomorrow, after rehearsal?” 

“We’ll see.” 

*** 

Despite his hesitance on the previous day, at 5pm sharp Hades was in the practice room when Persephone walked in. “How was rehearsal for you?” he asked. 

“Better today, I think I’m really getting the hang of this thing. I was wondering if we could start to go over some of the scenes we have… together? I feel like it would be easier for me if I knew how you were planning on reading your lines.” 

“Alright then, let’s start here.” Hades flipped his script to the right page and started reading. “Belle, I have something to show you.” On impulse, he took Persephone’s hand. She blushed but didn’t pull away. “But first, you have to close your eyes. It’s a surprise!” Persephone laughed but didn’t close her eyes - not all the way at least. 

“May I open them?” Persephone asked after leaving a beat for Hermes’ line as Lumiere. 

“Alright, alright, now!” Hades exclaimed. Persephone opened her eyes and gasped, but it was because she and Hades had somehow ended up in the corner of the practice room. 

Managing to stay in character, she continued. “I can’t believe it! I’ve never seen so many… books… in my whole life!” 

(In all honesty, Persephone had let the character of Belle slip just a little bit in that moment. How could she help it? Hades’ eyes were a very distracting shade of not-blue not-grey not-green. Anyone would be distracted.)

“You… like it?” Hades said, and Persephone couldn’t help but feel that he was talking about more than just the imagined books. 

***

As rehearsals continued, Persephone couldn’t help but feel that as close as she and Hades had grown in those practices together, there was still a seemingly unbridgeable gap between them. She didn’t know what to do. Honestly, she had more on-stage chemistry with Eros as Gaston than she did with Hades as Beast, something that Hera never hesitated to mention in rehearsals. Today’s rehearsal was no different, made worse by the fact that it was their last week before the performance. 

“HOLD!” hollered Hera. “Honestly, Hades, it’s like you’re a brick wall. Beast is _feeling_ in this scene, it’s one of the first ones where that’s obvious. And Persephone, Belle is hesitant, not timid. There’s a difference, would you like me to remind you of it?” 

Persephone shook her head, cheeks pink. 

Hera sighed. “All right, let’s run it again. This time, _please_ try for that emotion I was asking for. Everyone, from the start of act two!” 

***

Persephone caught up to Hades after their rehearsal that night as he strode home. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to say to him, but there was something to say, surely. “Erm… Hades?” she asked as he started to pull ahead again. “Could we talk?” 

“About what?” he asked. He sounded tired. 

“Well…” Persephone twisted her hands in the hem of her shirt. “I was just wondering, how are we going to do this? We can hardly look at each other on stage, much less off of it, it feels as though this Belle should maybe marry Gaston after all!” 

Hades stopped dead and turned, a hint of a glare in his eyes. Persephone took a step back, startled. He started at her reaction, and stepped back as well. 

“I thought I could keep myself from feeling how I do if I didn’t talk to you, but you’re right, it’s not working for the show and it’s not fair to you or the other cast members or the audiences that we’ll have. Eros _is_ my understudy, he could do the part just fine. Maybe I should take a step back.” 

Persephone blinked, aghast. “That’s not at all what I meant! Yes, Eros would be able to play the part just fine, but have you seen him? He _loves_ being Gaston more than you know. And he and Artemis make such a funny pair as the hunters. Also, one more thing, if Eros plays Beast then you know who gets to play Gaston? Apollo, that’s who. Do you know who I would rather do almost anything than share this musical with? _Apollo_. So yes, I’m frustrated that we can’t seem to figure out the chemistry thing, but I know we’ll get it by show time. It just feels as though you don’t even want to try.” 

Persephone finally looked at Hades properly. He looked wrecked, now that she thought about it. Maybe she had been too harsh on him? No, he’d needed to hear everything she had said. It was probably fine. 

* * *

The next week, Hades showed up to their first dress rehearsal with some trepidation. What if Persephone really was mad at him? Oh well, at least he had practiced all weekend. He was… pretty sure that he could say his lines without falling all over himself. 

He could, but it was a close call. Persephone looked radiant in her dress. 

* * *

They had changed out of their costumes and were almost ready to leave the theater. “Oh, shoot!” Persephone exclaimed. In all the hurry, Artemis had left without her. How was she going to get home now? 

She heard a throat clear behind her. 

“Erm, perhaps I can help?” Hades asked. “I do live pretty close by and I know Artemis already left. With Apollo.” 

Persephone chuckled at the disdain evident in his voice. 

“Yeah, Apollo. That. Well, if you’re sure you don’t mind, I would love a ride home! We just… maybe won’t tell Artemis. You know how she feels about you.” 

Hades sighed. “Yes, I do unfortunately know how she feels about me. I will do my best to avoid her.” 

Before she got out of the car, Persephone turned, and she saw Hades quickly turn away. _Odd_ , she thought, but didn’t have time to dwell on it. It would take enough finagling to get herself inside without Artemis noticing that it was Hades who had brought her home. 

Just before she got out of the car, she heard Hades clear his throat behind her. “Persephone, do you… would you…” he trailed off. 

“Would I what?” She turned to fully face him now, giving him her full attention. 

“Would you… want to keep working together even after this is over? I mean, I don’t know that we have any classes together, but… there’snoreasonwecan’tstillspendtimetogether.” Hades said the last part as if he wouldn’t say it at all if it wasn’t at the speed of sound. Which, for someone with such an old soul, seemed odd. Persephone shrugged it off. In the months of getting to know Hades, he was anything but predictable. She still swore she saw stars in his eyes if she looked too closely when he seemed to be gazing at something far beyond her knowledge. 

Persephone thought for a minute, and then a little longer, just enough to put that (adorable - where had that come from?) look of concern on Hades’ face where his brows furrowed and he started to look as old as his soul. 

“Alright!” she replied. “That would be lovely. Maybe we can work out a time.” 

“Sounds good to me,” said Hades, smiling one of his genuine smiles. 

She loved it when she made him smile like that. (And, where had _that_ come from?)

***

The musical was a beautiful production. Not a single night passed where everything went right, Artemis forgot to bring the bird with her for the hunting scene at one point, and it had to be thrown on from the sidelines, to uproarious laughter from the audience. But, all in all it was a massive success with sold out crowds at every performance. 

At the cast party, Eros and Persephone managed to talk Hades into performing an improvised dance number and they laughed the entire time he struggled his way through. For someone so good at singing, his dancing really could use some work. 

Persephone still thought she could see a hint of stars in his eyes. 

***

The holidays came and went. Persephone went home to her mother, and the array of flowers Demeter had prepared for her was truly outstanding. Artemis and Apollo had the holidays to themselves, and Persephone was happy for her friend while being glad to be out of the house at the same time as Apollo. 

She wondered what Hades did over the holidays. 

***

Finally, it was the spring semester. Persephone and Hades had planned to meet to work on homework for their respective classes, and it wasn’t until the first day that Persephone really thought about what that was going to mean. Weekly sessions gazing into Hades’ eyes? She wasn’t sure she could manage it. 

_You can do this_ , she steeled herself, _you did it for the entire second half of rehearsals, this is just like another rehearsal_. 

Except it wasn’t. It turned out, Hades was funny when he wanted to be, and when he wasn’t desperately anxious about their upcoming production. 

One day, he looked up. 

“Persephone, I have something to tell you.” 

She started, and turned. His eyes were still so full of stars. 

“I hate…” 

Her breath caught in her chest. 

“...negative numbers and will stop at nothing to avoid them.” 

Persephone blinked. 

Then chuckled. 

Then full on laughed and threw her notebook at Hades. “You- you ass! I thought you were going to say you-” she cut herself off, breathless with laughter but also scared of what she had almost said. 

Hades grew serious all of a sudden. “You thought I was going to say… what?” 

Persephone looked down at her lap. “Nothing. It doesn’t matter anyway.” 

Hades reached out and stroked a thumb over her chin. 

She leaned into the touch and might have sighed (but wouldn’t admit to it if you threatened her with death). 

He was suddenly very close. “What did you think I was going to say?” 

Persephone was suddenly very aware of her breathing, and how very galaxy-like Hades’ eyes were. 

“I…” 

She didn’t know why she did it, only that she didn’t want to answer Hades’ question. She looked up and closed the space between their lips, pulling back almost as soon as the kiss had started. Hades blinked those mesmerizing eyes at her, but didn’t pull away. The next time, it was he who leaned in, hesitant. Persephone met him halfway. 

This kiss felt like more than the ones they had shared as Beast and Belle. 

_We should talk about this_ , Persephone thought, _figure out if this will work and what we both want_. 

But for now, she was kissing a beautiful boy with stars in his eyes, and that was enough. 


End file.
